The Return of Aincrad
by Shii-chanchick
Summary: After planting the World Seed, Kazuto and his friends have rebooted Aincrad to its former glory. Now the team seeks to defeat the world once and for all. But can they rise above the psychological turmoil their two years of captivity instilled in them? And why are they starting to see familiar faces they thought they'd never see again? Takes place in the year between ALO and GGO.
1. A New Old World

**Author's note:** **This story is based only on the anime. Though I'm certain the light novels have more information, characters, and back story, this only uses what is provided in the anime. I hope you enjoy it all the same. :)**

Chapter One: A New Old World

Kazuto took a deep breath and closed his eyes briefly as he fit the NerveGear machine around his head. Asuna and Sugu had asked him on separate occasions why he stuck with this clunky piece of hardware instead of investing in a newer, sleeker model. His answer had always been related to finances, but that was only part of the reason.

Sure, he didn't feel like dropping a few hundred dollars on a new model when he had a perfectly functioning one already. But in the end, it came down to comfort. Some would argue that being trapped inside that machine for two years should have scarred him. It shouldn't be a point of comfort for him. But the truth was that it had become part of him. Though his mind hadn't been aware of the NerveGear machine during those two years, his body craved its comfort.

So as he slipped on the machine and relaxed on his bed, he didn't feel as though he was putting himself into captivity. Instead, it felt like coming home. The way it perfectly molded to the shape of his head felt like it was caressing him. It was the warm embrace of an old friend.

"Alright," he murmured, his heart thundering in excitement. "Let's do this. _Link start!_"

In one moment, everything from the real world faded away. Bright lights zooming around him in all directions replaced the flat, dull colors of his room. Though he had done this so many times now, he still found himself captivated by everything he experienced in these few seconds between the real world and the virtual world. Though all he was really looking at was bits of data connecting and displaying images, it felt like he was watching a fireworks display.

But it didn't take long for the display to end and make way for his appearance in the virtual world. As he looked around and gazed at the familiar cobbled stone, he felt a fresh breeze that seemed to whisper its own welcome to him. He smiled and stepped forward, letting Kazuto disappear in the real world while Kirito took over.

The Town of Beginnings, just like every other town in the game, was exactly the way it had been for the two years he had been trapped in Aincrad. The shops sold the same items and were manned by the same NPCs. The sights, the sounds, the smells… they were all the same. In one moment, it was both soothing and horrifying.

Surprised by the foreboding feeling in Kirito's stomach, the black-clad youth shook his head at himself and headed towards the meeting place he and the others had agreed on earlier that day. Just a few blocks away stood a brick-and-stone inn that served as a convenient rendezvous point. As Kirito took broad steps in its direction, he checked the time. He cringed. They'd certainly mock him for being late for their first meeting.

It didn't take him long to reach the inn. By the time he got there, he could already hear the others talking and laughing. Five familiar avatars sat on the patio outside the inn, their postures relaxed as they all spoke animatedly to each other about their return to Aincrad.

Klein was the first to notice Kirito's approach. The red-haired, eager-eyed young man lit up as soon as Kirito came into view. "Oy! Kirito! There you are!" Klein stood up and met his old friend halfway, giving him a solid handshake in solidarity. "We had begun to think you would back out on us!"

"And give you a head start on defeating this thing?" Kirito responded with a roguish grin. "Not a chance."

"He still thinks he's going to be the first one to beat Aincrad," a deep voice rumbled in amusement just a few feet away from them. Agil's calm, laid-back grin greeted Kirito as he joined the group at the patio table. "We know you were a hot-shot the first time around, but the playing field is even now. We're all starting at level 1, and we all have the exact same knowledge of the game. You don't have any unfair advantages this time."

"And I'll still wipe the floor with you," Kirito promised, his grin widening. He looked down and took an empty seat at the table. His eyes landed on the one who he had been looking forward to seeing the most. When Asuna looked back at him, he felt the same surge of emotions that took over him the last time they had been in this game together. He couldn't stop the gentle smile that came to his face when he saw her familiar honey-brown eyes shining back at him.

"Welcome back, Kirito!" Asuna's voice chimed as she smiled brightly at him. "I ordered you some hot cocoa and black bread." Her smile faded into a teasing smirk as Kirito picked up the food and bit into it. "It's your fault if it's gotten cold. If you had been here on time…"

Kirito shrugged. "It doesn't matter. The bread tastes lame without cream anyway."

"Hey!" Asuna shot back, frowning. "That's no fair! We haven't gotten to a town that sells it yet!"

Kirito laughed and shook his head, waving his free hand dismissively. "I'm just teasing. The bread tastes great," he assured her as she raised her eyebrow questioningly at him. "It's strange that I've missed this taste."

"Yeah," Agil agreed, crossing his arms over his broad chest. "I know what you mean. We were held prisoner here for two years, so it seems like these little things should only trigger bad memories. But…" he added as he lifted his own hot cocoa mug. "But somehow it's pleasant. You know?"

Kirito smiled and nodded back at him. "Exactly." He turned to look at the other two members of their gathering, smiling in greeting. "Hey Silica, Lisbeth," he said, nodding to each one respectively. "Long time no see."

Lisbeth frowned. "What do you mean by that? We saw each other at school today!"

"Erm…" Kirito said, suddenly embarrassed when he realized that she was right. "I mean… I haven't seen you two here in a while."

"None of us have, moron," Lisbeth responded, looking away from him. "This is the first day of the re-launch of Aincrad. Geeze, don't say such useless things."

Kirito forced a laugh, wondering if he was only imagining the icy way the girl was treating him. Then again, she seemed to have a knack for being particularly distant whenever the mood happened to strike her. He decided not to read too much into it and instead turned to Silica. "Hey, where's Pina?" he asked, looking around for the girl's familiar blue companion.

Silica smiled brightly. "Oh, yeah!" she exclaimed at the mention of her friend. "I haven't converted her over to this game yet. I figured I would do that before we started our missions today." She waved her hand in the air, engaging in her player menu. Within a few strokes, a bright light appeared over her shoulder. Seconds later, the feathery dragon crooned happily at its owner. Silica laughed joyously. "Welcome back, Pina!"

"Speaking of companions," Asuna said, capturing Kirito's attention again, "did you bring Yui with you?"

Kirito nodded. "Of course," he answered with a tender smile. He, too, brought up his player menu and extracted Yui's data. Soon, the tiny girl appeared beside them, smiling brightly at the two players. Kirito placed a hand atop the girl's head. "Welcome back, Yui!"

"Hello, Papa! Mama!" she giggled happily, gazing at her parents. "I've missed you!"

Asuna wrapped her arms around the AI child and smiled warmly. "I've missed you, too."

Lisbeth cleared her throat, bringing everyone's attention to her. "If we're done resurrecting children and pets, can we get on with this mission? I don't have all night."

The rest of the group exchanged glances, and Kirito realized he wasn't the only one picking up on the girl's cold demeanor. He nodded uncertainly and stood up from the table, finishing the last piece of bread and his cocoa. "Lisbeth's right. Let's get moving, everyone. Other groups will have already begun working on this level. We should get started if we hope to get ahead of everyone else."

Everyone's uncertain expressions turned to excited smiles as they joined Kirito and left the inn. The black-clad swordsman felt Asuna's warm hand encase his tenderly as they headed towards the town's exit. He smiled down at the girl in response. "Are you ready for this?" he asked.

Asuna nodded. "I am. Though, to be honest…" she responded as she watched Yui play with Pina while keeping up with the group. "It's difficult to describe. I am so excited to be able to come back and defeat this game. But at the same time, I'm terrified." She looked up at him, her eyes troubled. "Is it strange for me to be scared when we have nothing to fear now? We can't die here. It's like any other VRMMORPG. Still, I can't get rid of this nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach."

Kirito turned his gaze forward, his own expression pensive. "I know what you mean," he admitted grimly. "When I first entered this world, I felt the familiar pang of dread that I woke up with every day when we were trapped here before. I felt the same fear of death, even though I know it's not the same now."

Asuna's hand tightened around his. When he looked down at her, she smiled warmly back at him. "Well, at least we have each other. And we have our friends with us, too. We'll all be going through this together. Before you know it, we'll be flying past levels and defeating this game once and for all."

Kirito raised an eyebrow wryly. "What do you mean 'we'?" he asked with a smirk. "I'm still a solo player. I'll finish this game before any of you get to level 50."


	2. Old Habits

Chapter Two: Old Habits

Klein stood straight as he watched the boar he had just fought disintegrate into a million glittering data pieces. With a cocky grin, he turned to look at Kirito over his shoulder. "How about that, huh? That was my eighth one, and my HP hasn't even dropped a quarter yet!"

Kirito smiled back. "Impressive. Let me know when you get to twenty."

Klein's smile dropped. "Eh? Twenty?"

"That's how many kills he has," Asuna responded after slaying another boar from the same pack.

"Looks like you'll have to wake up pretty early in the morning to match me," Kirito declared with his own confident smile.

"You're one to talk," he heard Lisbeth call from several meters away. "Isn't that Asuna's twenty-fifth kill today?"

Kirito laughed and held his hands up. "You got me. She's kicking my tail."

Klein looked around at the rest of the group, feeling at a loss. "Wait. How many kills does everyone else have?"

Agil grunted after he retrieved his axe from the flesh of a beast he had just slain. "That makes fifteen for me."

"Just finished off my seventeenth," Lisbeth responded over her shoulder.

"I'm at twelve!" Silica giggled.

Klein's shoulders drooped as he stared at his team with dismay. "That… that means I'm in last place!" he realized in mild anguish.

"Don't worry!" he heard a small voice pipe from next to him. Klein looked down to find Yui staring up at him with bright, joyful eyes. "I haven't killed any!"

His eye twitched in mild irritation, but he tried to smile for the sake of the small child. "That's because you _can't_. Besides," he added with sudden realization. "Why are you out here? Isn't it too dangerous for a kid to be in the middle of the battlefield like this?"

"She's an AI," Kirito responded, coming to join Klein and the VR child. He set a hand atop Yui's head, and she giggled up at him. "She's set as a game-controlled assistant, so she's safe."

"Plus, Mama and Papa protect me!" Yui declared brightly, bouncing from foot to foot. "They're so strong!"

"A little too strong," Klein grumbled as he watched Asuna expertly stab an attacking bird with her rapier. "Are you sure you guys aren't cheating? We were all supposed to start on level one!"

"Don't be such a sore loser," Agil laughed, his booming voice shaking the air around them. "You're just angry because you've made the least amount of kills today!"

Klein sighed. "I guess you're right." He folded his arms across his chest and frowned. "Is anyone else getting bored of this area? If I have to see another boar, I'm gonna throw a fit."

"Seems like you're throwing enough of a fit as it is," Lisbeth called with a playful grin. "You baby."

"I'm not a baby!" Klein protested. "I just… need more of a challenge, that's all. I'm so used to being on the 75th floor from a couple of months ago that I need more challenging opponents."

Asuna turned to look at him, her expression concerned. "Are you sure? We should take it slow at the beginning. We need to level up before we can take on this level's boss."

"I'm not saying we should go that far yet!" he responded, suddenly panicked at the thought of taking on Illfang so early into the game.

"I thought you needed more of a challenge," Lisbeth mocked, winking at Klein. Kirito smiled at the jab, happy to see that the girl seemed to be in better spirits than she had been before.

"Not _that_ much of a challenge!" Klein snapped. With a grunt, he pulled up his area map and scrutinized it. "If I remember correctly, the woods to the south are supposed to have some higher level creatures that can give us more money and more EXP. It's no boss battle, but it will give us the challenge we need!"

Kirito hesitated. There was something familiar about Klein's words that suddenly put Kirito's stomach in knots. He tried to shake the feeling, but there was something nagging at him, keeping him from responding to Klein's request.

Agil briefly glanced at the time on his player menu. "I'm good for it. I'll have to log out afterwards, though," he declared as he closed out of his menu. "I've got work in the morning."

"It feels pretty good to say that, huh?" Silica said as she joined the group. Her smile was soft and sad as she kept her eyes averted from everyone else's. "Knowing we can log out at any time."

There was a tense silence that followed the observation. Kirito shared a glance with Asuna. One of the first things both of them had done when they arrived was to check for the Log Out button in their menu. Even though he had seen it several times that day, Kirito still found himself checking just to make sure.

"Ugh," Lisbeth groaned as she set her hands on her hips. "Let's go to the forest before the mood gets any darker over here."

"I… I'm sorry!" Silica squeaked, embarrassed at her assessment. "I didn't mean to make anyone uncomfortable! It's just… hard not to notice these things." She looked at the ground, feeling guilty over having brought this dark cloud over her friends when they had been having so much fun earlier.

Kirito placed a comforting hand on her shoulder as he smiled down at her. "Don't worry. We've all had the same things going through our heads today. It's only natural after everything we've been through."

Silica smiled thankfully, but her eyes held their sad gleam. She said nothing in response as she turned and beckoned Pina to her side.

"Come on," Agil said, breaking the group out of their dismay. "That forest isn't going to explore itself, right? Let's go! We're running out of daylight!"

As the five comrades headed in the direction of the forest, Asuna hung back and held Kirito's arm, motioning for him to drop a few paces behind the others. When they were just out of earshot, Asuna leaned towards him and whispered, "Are we sure we're ready for this? Should we take it slow? We all just got back to the real world. We just recently established some normalcy. Maybe we should call it quits for today and tackle the forest tomorrow."

Though he had the same reaction when Klein had first mentioned it, Kirito smiled comfortingly at her and shook his head. "I don't think that's necessary. Besides, we need to level up faster. Most of the players in this game were in Aincrad when it first launched. We have to get to Illfang before they do."

"I know," Asuna responded quietly. "I just… I want to look out for everyone."

Kirito wasn't surprised by her response to the situation. Several months ago, she had been one of the leading members of the strongest guild in Aincrad. She felt responsible for everyone in their group, even this soon into the game. And Kirito, always comfortable with being a solo player, only sought to increase his stats so he could become stronger.

"I understand," he said finally. He leaned in and kissed her forehead, causing a light flush to come to her cheeks. "We'll take it easy. After we poke around in the forest for a bit, we'll log out and go back home. Okay?"

She smiled warmly and nodded once. "Okay."

Seeing her sweet expression caused Kirito's pulse to race. Though he knew it wasn't his real body and that Asuna wasn't actually standing in front of him, he couldn't help the urge to lean in and kiss her. His hand seemed to float up on its own; he found himself gently caressing her cheek and thinking about how soft her lips were.

"Kirito…" she murmured, her cheeks flushing more. He couldn't help himself. He leaned in closer until his lips pressed against hers. Now that he had felt her against him in real life, this didn't compare. But it still thrilled him all the same. He knew it was just data and programming that told him how warm she felt in his arms and how sweet she smelled. He knew it was all part of the virtual reality technology. And yet he had a hard time convincing himself that the way she made his pulse quicken was just part of some computer's data outputs.

When she pulled away, he didn't stop her. "Come on," she said in a slightly breathless voice. "The others will be waiting for us."

He nodded as she took his hand in hers. "Okay. Let's go."

Hand-in-hand, the two followed the rest of the group towards the forest on the southernmost part of the first level. When they reached the perimeter, the group brought out a map and analyzed the area. "It looks like there's one main path that runs in the center of the woods," Klein explained, tracing the area with his index finger. "But that's all they give us. Everything is shaded."

"That's what exploring is for," Agil responded with a cocky grin. "Let's stop standing around and get to it."

The others smiled eagerly with him and headed towards the main path. Kirito, however, angled his steps towards the woods away from the rest of the group. "I'll catch you guys later," he announced, waving at them over his shoulder.

"Eh?" Klein responded, raising an eyebrow. "Where are you going?"

"He's going to see if he can find the new rare items," Asuna responded with a slightly disgusted frown.

"He's not going to stay with the team?" Silica asked, her brow puckered in concern.

Agil shrugged. "Once a Beater, always a Beater. Let him go. Just don't wander off too far, okay Kirito?"

"Yeah, yeah!" the black-clad swordsman responded leisurely. He listened to the group murmuring as they ventured into the woods, but he kept his focus on the shaded forest before him. The same hungry desire to defeat new enemies and find new items coursed through him. It was exactly the same as before. He craved to feel the victory of slicing open a wild creature. He yearned to open a chest and find Col or a rare item. Before he realized it, he was sprinting into the forest with his sword drawn and a bloodthirsty grin stretched across his face.


	3. Memories

Chapter Three: Memories

The sun had begun to set in the distance, painting the sky with mixtures of red and orange. After a successful exploration through the southern woods, Kirito and the others now rested in the middle of the field as a light breeze blew around them. But evening began to creep up on them, indicating the approaching end to the day. Noting this, Agil turned to the others. "If I don't log off now, I'm going to be in a world of hurt tomorrow morning."

"Yeah," Klein groaned as he stretched. "Same here. If I'm late one more time, my boss is going to have my hide."

"I think I'm going to look around a little more," Kirito responded in a distracted voice. He scrolled leisurely through his item list, greedily eyeing all of the items and Col he had scored while hacking away at forest creatures.

Asuna pulled up her own item menu; while not as extensive as Kirito's, she had also made quite a haul. "I'll join you. I have a few things I want to sell off so I can upgrade my rapier before I leave for the night."

Agil sighed. "Kids. Just wait until you graduate and get back to the real world."

Kirito laughed, glancing at the mountainous man briefly. "I'll delay that as much as I can, thanks."

"Speak for yourself." Lisbeth brought up her player menu. "I'm not a fan of showing up to class exhausted. See you guys tomorrow. Don't stay up too late." She waved, hit the Log Off button and disappeared. Klein and Agil followed suit, both offering similar sentiments. With every successful log off, Kirito couldn't help but notice the relief that seemed to loosen an unconscious tightness in his chest.

Silica yawned and smiled at the other two. "Same time tomorrow?" she asked after she pet Pina and returned her to her local storage.

Kirito nodded. "We're going to head towards the caves up north tomorrow," he answered. "There's a mission there that will get us some great items. If we keep up this pace, we'll be able to face Illfang in no time."

Smirking, Asuna turned to him. "You know… for a solo player, you sure do say 'us' and 'we' a lot."

Ignoring her, Kirito bid Silica a good night. The girl smiled and waved back at him and Asuna before disappearing as well. Alone, the couple sat side-by-side in the field just outside the southern forest and watched the sun slowly sink lower in the sky. After a few moments, Asuna leaned her head against Kirito's shoulder and sighed.

"With the way we handled that forest," she said softly, "you'd think we never left the game."

"It didn't stand a chance," he responded with a satisfied smile. "Do you feel more comfortable with it now?"

She smiled and nodded. "I do. I still have… flashes, though," Asuna continued, a gentle tug of sadness mixed in her soft voice. "I still have the same tension while fighting… like I still expect someone to die."

Kirito's own smile faded as he stared into the distance. The whole time they had been in the forest, he explored areas the others refused to touch. Though he claimed that it was because he wanted to find hidden items, he couldn't tell them the truth. It was the same reason he remained alone the first time around. An almost sickening fear gripped him at the thought of losing a comrade in battle. Though he knew they wouldn't stay gone, it was hard to remind himself of that now as they walked through the same areas they had been trapped in for two years.

"I know that you feel the same way," Asuna continued, breaking him out of his grim musings. "When you disappeared into the forest, I saw the same look on your face that you always had before. You're still driven to get stronger… stronger than anyone else. Everyone thinks it's because you're competitive to a fault. But I know it's because you want to protect everyone."

Kirito tensed, making the amber-haired girl sit up and look at him. He couldn't meet her eyes, so he stared at the horizon as he spoke: "It's useless, isn't it? No one needs me to protect them here. No one needs me to save them from death. But…" He trailed off, unable to say the words. He closed his eyes as memories shot through his mind. In an instant, Kirito could picture the face of every person he failed to save. His heart twisted in his chest, and he clenched his jaw in desperation.

"But I keep thinking that maybe," he finally continued in a strained voice, "I can atone for my sins if I just become stronger."

A feather-soft touch brushed against his cheek, sending warmth through his tightened body. When he opened his eyes, he saw Asuna's soft, sweet smile. She cupped his cheek in her velvety hand, her face just inches from his own. "What sins?" she asked quietly, her eyes full of pain.

Kirito closed his eyes once more, those faces haunting him again. "My weakness," he responded, his voice rough with emotion. "Their blood is on my hands. If I had been stronger… if I had just—"

"If what?" Asuna pressed, making Kirito look at her. Her expression was hard, a fire raging behind her eyes. "If you had been perfect? If you had been invincible? Kirito… you saved thousands of people. You saved _me_," she insisted, her voice cracking. Her hard expression melted into one mixed with grief and sympathy. Tears glittered in her eyes as she pressed her forehead against his. "Because of you, we can play games like this for _fun_. So don't say things like that. Don't live in guilt and fear and say that you need to atone for something that wasn't your fault."

He gazed back at her, desperate to believe that she was right. He wanted to believe that he wasn't to blame for letting his comrades and friends die. He wanted to believe that defeating Heathcliff had been enough to restore what he had lost. He wanted to believe that saving Asuna from Oberon in ALO had made up for the pain that maniac put her through.

But it wasn't. None of it brought back the lives that SAO had taken in those two years. None of it was enough to right what had been wronged. He sought redemption, and he had begun to think he'd never find it.

"Kirito," Asuna whispered, wrapping her arms around him and holding him tight. "Promise me something?"

He treasured the way she felt in his arms. If his anguish was a fire raging inside of him, she was the cool water that refreshed his soul. He yearned for it, craved it. Kirito slid his arms around her, his head swimming with conflicting emotions. "Yeah?"

"Promise me we'll make it back to that cabin," she said gently. "Promise me we'll buy that house on the lake and sit on its front porch again. Promise me, Kirito."

With her words, new images flashed in his mind. He thought back to the beautiful log cabin and how wonderful their lives had been there. Kirito remembered walking with her in the forests and sleeping beside her—it had been a heaven tucked away inside a living hell. In the midst of all the death and darkness, they had found a light together that brought them through.

"I promise," he answered as tears spilled down his cheeks. His arms tightened around her as he clung to her comfort like a lifeline to his sanity. "I'll give you all of that again, Asuna. Both here and in the real world."

She laughed between broken sobs. God, he loved the sound of her laughter. Even in the darkest of times, her laughter was like music for his soul. He pulled back just enough to look into her eyes and he said, "I don't care how long it takes. We'll live that life again."

Asuna smiled warmly up at him. "I'll hold you to that promise."

Kirito leaned in and sealed his vow with a kiss. Asuna welcomed him with a fire that warmed him to his core. With his hands caressing her face, he kissed her deeply, pouring all of his raw emotion into their connection. They had shared many kisses before—both in the real world and the virtual one—and every single one of them helped Kirito fight off the demons that raged inside of him.

Asuna broke the kiss briefly, her face flushed as she met his eyes. "I love you, Kirito."

He slid his hand to gently cup the back of her neck. "And I love you, Asuna," he murmured before pressing his lips to hers again.


	4. The Real World

Chapter Four – The Real World

Kazuto stared out the window, his thoughts too jumbled to listen to the instructor. This happened all too often lately, and he knew he needed to get a grip. It wouldn't be long before their semester exams came up, and spacing out like this would only make it more difficult for him to prepare. His two years in SAO already pushed back his graduation date; he didn't like the idea of letting that slip further. Even with the accelerated program set up specifically for SAO survivors, he still lost time while in the death game. Daydreaming would be a pitiful excuse for having to repeat a year.

But ever since he and the others had started playing SAO again, something didn't sit right with him. It had been a week now, and he thought he would be over the initial shock that diving back into the game would give him. But he wasn't. For the most part, he could fight through every obstacle and play it like every other game. But some small glimpse of a familiar location, or hearing music native to Aincrad, or smelling a scent he hadn't in two years would send him right back to where he was.

Asuna had been more than patient with him. Though he didn't want to burden her with his difficulties when she experienced her own, she had a way of coaxing the truth out of him. In the real world, he confessed that he hadn't been sleeping well in the week since they went back to that world. His thoughts were troubled, and he constantly had a foreboding feeling coiled inside his chest and stomach.

Having that feeling afflict him in the middle of class was an unfortunate side effect. By the time the class ended, Kazuto realized he hadn't heard a word of the lecture. Frustrated, he closed his books and slid his empty notes into his briefcase. Maybe he could glance at Rika's notes from the lecture today. She'd probably give him grief about using her to pass the class.

"You were a total space case again today," he heard a familiar voice say. He looked up from his briefcase to see Rika standing in front of him with her arms folded over her chest. "You didn't hear a word of the lecture, did you?"

Kazuto sighed and shrugged sheepishly. "Not really, no. Maybe Japanese History just isn't my subject."

"You've been like this _all day_," she accused, raising an eyebrow. "Heck, you've been like this all week! What's going on in that head of yours?"

Kazuto grimaced. "I'm just having trouble focusing. That's all."

Rika's stance slackened slightly, and her face softened into an expression of concern. "It's the game, isn't it?" The black-haired boy frowned but didn't respond as he stood up from his desk and grabbed his materials. "I know… because I don't think I've been alright since we started."

Kazuto glanced at her as he headed out of the classroom. "Really?"

Rika nodded once, her expression troubled. "It's hard not to be affected by it. But I think it's getting better," she added, a hopeful look in her eyes. "I think I'm starting to get over the feeling of being in a death game again."

The smile Kazuto gave her in response didn't quite reach his eyes. "I'm glad. I want Aincrad to be a fun, challenging world. I don't want people to fear diving into it."

Rika hesitated before responding. "Do you fear it?"

The question made him stop. He turned to find the girl's expression a mixture of curiosity and sympathy. He tightened his grip on his briefcase, uncomfortable with the concept of being afraid of Aincrad. He had decided a long time ago that he wouldn't let that world beat him. Many of the original SAO players had quit VR gaming for good because of their experience in that world. But Kazuto refused to let that place have the same affect on him. He had defeated the game. He had freed them from that world. He proved he was stronger than it.

But he didn't feel so strong when his body quaked at night in an indefinable terror that awakened him in a cold sweat.

"It's okay," Rika said quietly. Her short, brown hair fell into her eyes as she bowed her head slightly, unable to meet Kazuto's gaze. "I know you have Asuna to talk to. I know you two have already shared your fears and inhibitions with each other about diving into Aincrad again. But you two aren't the only ones going through it. You have the rest of us to talk to, you know. So don't…" she bit her lip, a light flush coming to her cheeks. "Don't shut us out. Okay?"

Surprised by just how much the girl cared about what he was going through, Kazuto stared down at Rika for a moment. When she still couldn't meet his eyes, he smiled. "Thank you. I know we're a team. It's hard to get out of my solo player mentality, even in the real world. I'll try to be more open."

Rika smiled brightly at his words. "Good. In the meantime, I'll at least help you out this way." She reached into her school bag and pulled out the notes she had taken on today's lecture. "Copy them and bring them back to me tomorrow," she ordered as Kazuto took the notebook gratefully. Rika winked at him. "Keep this up and I'll have to start charging you."

Kazuto frowned. "I thought we were on a team."

"That doesn't mean I can't benefit from it," she retorted as he slid the notes in his bag. "Anyway, are you planning on diving again tonight? Agil says he thinks we may be ready to start working on Illfang's dungeon tonight. Apparently a guild just started up this week, and their first goal is to take Illfang out and make it to the second level in the first ten days."

Kazuto raised his eyebrows in surprise. "That quick?"

Rika sighed as the two walked down the hallway towards Asuna's classroom. "Agil says there's word of some hot-shot leader who has everyone all riled up about this. He's quite motivating, and he already gathered twenty-five players into a guild for this. Some say he's another SAO survivor, which could mean we have major competition. Either way, if you're hoping to get that famous jacket back by getting the last attack on Illfang, we're going to need to step up our game."

He smirked. "Good point. Yeah, I'm going into the game tonight. Maybe while I'm there, I'll see if I can get a sneak peek at this guild leader to size him up."

"Good idea," Rika responded. The two stopped in front of Asuna's classroom where she was still inside, gathering up all of her materials to go home. Rika waved and said, "Well, this is where we split. I'll see you in the game tonight."

Kazuto nodded and smiled. "See you tonight, Lisbeth."

The girl scowled. "Wait until we're in the game to call me that. Stupid." She turned on her heel and stomped away from him. He felt slightly guilty for saying that; it bothered him to no end when people said his name outside of the game, but that was mostly because he didn't like the unwanted attention in the real world. Still, he enjoyed ribbing her and the other players from time to time.

Asuna stepped out of the classroom and joined Kazuto. "Hey," she greeted as they turned to walk down the hallway together. "How was class? Is it getting any better?"

He frowned and sighed. "Not really. Rika said she'd let me use her notes today."

As her warm hand encased his, Asuna said gently, "Do you think you should take a break from Aincrad for a while? If it's affecting you like this…"

Kazuto recoiled from that idea. He wasn't willing to admit defeat just yet. "No," he stated firmly. "I'll be fine. I just need to get over it."

With a sigh, she gave up. "I don't know why you need to be so bullheaded about this, but whatever. If you fail your exams because of this, I'll never forgive you." She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "Just promise me that you'll take it easy."

"I think that's the exact opposite of what I need to do," Kazuto responded. "I use it as a sort of shock therapy. If I expose myself to the game enough times, I'll overcome what SAO did to me over the two years we were stuck there."

"Sounds unhealthy," Asuna grumbled. "Have you spoken to the councilor about this? You know they put Ms. Hamada in this school for these very things. She may have something to say about your personal form of therapy."

Kazuto shook his head. "I don't want to get anyone else involved. It's my issue. I'll deal with it."

She frowned as they began making their way down the stairs. "It's not just your issue, you know. But if you think this is what's best for you, I won't argue. I'm just worried."

"I appreciate it," he responded sincerely, smiling down at her. "I'll give it another week. If things don't get better… I'll either take a break or speak to Ms. Hamada. Deal?"

Asuna sighed, but she seemed a little relieved at this trade-off. "Deal."

"Besides," Kazuto continued, a curious interest in his voice, "I want to find out more about this guild that's building up to take on Illfang. Rika just told me that their leader is some hot-shot SAO-survivor. I'd like to meet him and see what we're up against."

"Me, too," Asuna stated. "I wonder if we'll be able to recognize him."

"I just hope I can get to the top before he does," Kazuto responded with a challenging grin.


	5. Ghosts

Chapter Five – Ghosts

It had been a while since Kirito had gone to Tolbana. When the group started a week ago, they quickly traveled to other towns on the first floor to buy stronger weapons and higher-level items. Even Leafa, who had joined them a few days into their initial dive into Aincrad, had the strongest archery equipment available from this floor. After cleaning out its useful items, Tolbana had nothing to offer them anymore.

But Kirito now stood in the center of town, eying his surroundings with intense scrutiny. The others had gone to do some more leveling up, intent on getting to Illfang's lair before the week was through. As Kirito was already five levels above the rest, he told them he wanted to check something out before he met up with them later. Asuna seemed concerned, but Kirito settled her worry by reminding her of the guild leader he wanted to investigate. She bid him farewell after telling him to message her when he found out something.

_If only Argo had joined the game again_, he thought with a grunt. The kid had charged high fees for information, but she was always useful. He wasn't surprised she didn't join up again, but he found himself wishing he could ask her where the guild leader was holding his meeting tonight. _Looks like I'll have to find out the hard way_.

Grateful that Tolbana had the same layout as before, Kirito immediately set out to investigate the usual meeting areas. The tavern, inn, town square, and amphitheater had been the places of choice before; it couldn't hurt to start there. Inconspicuously, Kirito walked through the town and pretended to be interested in the NPC's items for sale while listening intently to conversations around him for any mention of a guild meeting today.

The tavern, inn, and square all proved to be dead ends. As he headed for the amphitheater, Kirito felt a strange sense of déjà vu. The old columns and cracked stone seating still held their mystical charm as they did the day he sat down and joined the 1st floor clearing squad two years ago. Just like then, he watched as newcomers intent on making it to the second floor sat around, waiting for their leader to show up.

_This must be it_, he thought breathlessly. The whole thing had an eerie familiarity that made his stomach churn. Somewhere between twenty-five and thirty players had come here to join one of the first guilds since the game's reboot. Eyes bright and excitement high, they all looked like the players he had seen in this amphitheater two years ago.

"I hear he's one of the players who were stuck in this game before," Kirito heard someone whisper from the seats below. "I wonder if he's the one who cleared the game, too."

Kirito smirked. _I can guarantee that he's not_, he thought dryly. Still, everyone seemed to have high expectations from this guild leader. The question was… where was he?

"The meeting is supposed to start at 6 PM," someone else whispered. "Why isn't he here yet? He's late!"

"Only by a few minutes," another voice responded. "Let's give him a bit. It might be worth it to stick it out and see what he has to say."

"Alright," the first person grumbled. "But if he's not here in—"

The person never got to finish the statement. In the center of the amphitheater, a tall man clad in leather and dull, metal armor stepped out onto the round stone surface. Kirito turned to look at the man, assuming that he must be the guild leader everyone was talking about. When his eyes locked on the leader's face, Kirito's breath caught in his throat.

_No…_ he thought, his eyes widening and his heart stopping. _It can't be…_

"Alright, everyone!" the man announced in a loud, clear voice. His blue eyes shone brightly with excitement and determination as he stood straight and firm in the middle of the arena. He had the natural commanding presence of a leader, and he immediately captured everyone's attention. "Let's get things started!"

_This is impossible_! Kirito thought, clenching his fists as his body went cold. He stared at the blue hair tumbling around the man's face, hoping to God he was mistaken. _I saw you die! I saw you die two years ago!_

"My name is Diabel," the man announced with a cocky grin. "And the role I drew in this game is a knight!"

Some confused murmurings ran through the crowd, and a few people laughed. "There are no roles in this game!" someone shouted back, causing more laughter to erupt.

But Kirito wasn't laughing like he did last time. He didn't smile. He couldn't move a muscle. Was this all a dream? Was this some sort of glitch in the game? He quickly looked around the audience, looking for more familiar faces. But no, everyone here was new. He didn't see Kibaou or any of the others who had joined this same meeting two years ago. So why was Diabel here? Kirito's jaw clenched as he watched the scene before him unfold.

"Do you want to hear this or not?" Diabel asked, just as he had before. "Right, so anyway. My party and I know where this level's boss is. At the top of the north tower is a monster called Illfang the Kobold Lord."

A strange rushing sound filled Kirito's ears, and suddenly he couldn't hear the man's voice anymore. He didn't need to. Without telling his weakened legs to move, he found himself stumbling away from the amphitheater as fast as he could. _This is impossible!_ he thought again. _Was that some sort of imposter? Was it someone who had been in the game before and took on Diabel's likeness? But his mannerisms are exactly the same! His words, his attitude, his aura… everything is exactly like it was two years ago!_

His legs gave out beneath him after carrying him two blocks away into some abandoned back alley street. He collapsed to the ground and clenched his fists against the cobbled stone. _You died in my arms, Diabel. I saw you get cut down by Illfang! Why the hell are you here now?_

He knew he wouldn't get answers this way. After taking a few minutes to calm down, Kirito brought up his player menu and immediately entered the messaging module to contact Asuna. _Found the guild meeting. Meet me by the amphitheater ASAP. Bring Agil_. Though his hands were shaking, he managed to get the message out quickly. As he waited for Asuna and Agil, he paced furiously along the cobbled street.

It didn't take them very long at all to reach him. Breathless and alert, Asuna and Agil reached Kirito's position and immediately demanded to know why he beckoned him there. When Asuna saw his wide eyes and pale features, she hesitantly placed a hand on his shoulder and leaned forward. "Kirito…" she breathed, concern puckering her brow. "What is it? What's wrong?"

Kirito shook his head, unable to find the words to explain. "Come with me," he rasped, straining to get the statement out. "You both need to see this."

Agil and Asuna exchanged glances before following Kirito as he led them to the amphitheater. He could still hear Diabel's voice ringing through the arena, but it sounded like the man was wrapping up the meeting. That was good. Kirito clenched his fists and set his mind on cornering the man to find answers once the meeting was over.

"That voice…" Agil said, his eyes wide with disbelief. "It… it can't be."

Kirito said nothing as he stepped aside and gestured for Asuna and Agil to look inside the amphitheater. Both walked stiffly along the top level and stopped to watch the scene unfold before them. Asuna went pale as she stared down at the speaker.

"We meet tomorrow at ten in the morning!" Diabel announced. "Meeting adjourned, people!"

Agil's fist tightened as he watched the blue-haired man approach another player and start talking animatedly about their upcoming fight. "This is impossible," Agil growled. "We all saw him die two years ago. What the hell is he doing in the Aincrad reboot?"

"Could it be a glitch?" Asuna whispered.

Kirito shook his head. "I don't think so. It's more likely that someone from the original SAO took on Diabel's form and is using his likeness. But if that's the case, he's doing a dead-on impression. Either way," he added, glaring at the other two. "We've got some questions to ask that man."

Agil and Asuna nodded firmly in agreement. "We'll get him to talk," Agil vowed tensely.


	6. Phantom

Chapter Six – Phantom

It took nearly half an hour before Diabel left the amphitheater and headed towards the town square. Heart thudding in his chest, Kirito quickly led Agil and Asuna in the man's direction. If they wanted to corner him for answers, now was the time. Diabel angled his steps towards a shortcut leading to an inn in the center of town; it was the same inn he had rested at the night before the raid two years ago.

When Diabel had stepped into the shadows of a back alley, Kirito clenched his jaw and hastened his footsteps. Asuna and Agil followed close behind him; it didn't take long for their steps to draw Diabel's attention. The blue-haired man twisted around to face them, his stance defensive as Kirito lifted two fists and grabbed Diabel by the lapels of his blue tunic.

"Who the hell are you?" Kirito demanded as he slammed the man into the wall behind him. Taken by surprise, Diabel's head knocked painfully against the dark brick. "What the hell do you think you're doing? Is this your idea of some sick joke?"

"I… I don't know what you're talking about!" the man responded, gripping Kirito's wrists and trying to push him away. But staring into the eyes of this imposter and seeing just how perfectly he had recreated Diabel's features ignited Kirito's rage. He put all of his strength into shoving him against the wall.

"Kirito, wait…" Agil said calmly, trying to pull Kirito off the man. But the dark-haired teen shrugged off Agil's grip and shoved Diabel against the wall.

"Were you a player before?" Kirito demanded. "You had to have been! Otherwise how could you know about Diabel and what he looked like? How could you know _exactly_ the words he said?"

"Kid, I swear to God I don't know what you're talking about," the man grunted. "How about we calm down and talk this out civilly?"

Kirito scowled, his eyes flashing in rage. "It's not right to make a mockery of the dead," he seethed. "The man you are posing as was a strong leader who saved hundreds of lives! How _dare_ you take his name and likeness!?" If Kirito was being honest, he had no problem with someone impersonating another player. But seeing a dead man walking around made a sick feeling coil in his stomach and made his blood run cold. For someone to do something potentially disastrous to SAO survivors was… unforgivable.

Seeing that there was no reasoning with Kirito, Diabel glanced at Agil. "Please help me out. I want to answer his questions… but I don't think he'll listen in the state he's in."

Asuna and Agil both stepped up and rested their hands on Kirito's arms and shoulders, gently but firmly releasing his hold on the blue-haired man. "Kirito," Asuna said gently. "Let's hear what he has to say."

When they had successfully pulled Kirito back, Agil offered Diabel an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry about this," his deep voice rumbled. "He's a bit shocked. We all are, as I'm sure you can understand."

Diabel nodded grimly. "I can. I don't hold it against the kid. It has to be tough on him."

Asuna's eyes flashed to Diabel. "What?"

"I was shell-shocked at first, too," Diabel continued, darkness in his eyes as he gazed at the others. "To think we've been used as pawns in this death game. I can't blame anyone for being on-edge. But I promise you, we can all get out of this if we just work together." He smiled at Kirito, who stood frozen, staring at him in confusion. Diabel extended his hand. "You've got some strength, kid. I like your fire and spunk. I bet if you join our guild, we can clear the first floor and make strides to getting out of this sick game."

Kirito stiffened as he stared down at Diabel's hand. _What…? What the hell is he talking about?_

"My name's Agil," the mountainous man's voice rumbled as he took Diabel's extended hand in his and gave it a firm shake. "I like what you've done to round up the troops. Your leadership will come in handy."

"I'm just trying to do my part," Diabel responded with a smile. He looked down at Agil's strong grip and remarked, "You've got some power there, don't you? I could see it from a mile away. And that axe on your back isn't for your standard player. We could really use you on the frontlines."

"Wait a minute!" Asuna interrupted, her expression reflecting Kirito's confusion. "What are you talking about? This is—"

"Count me in," Agil said, subtly putting a hand on Asuna's shoulder to stop her. "In fact, count us all in. It's about time we did something to clear this floor."

Diabel nodded firmly. "We can use all the help we can get. Send word to any other strong players that we're going to take on Illfang tomorrow. We'll plan out which parties take up which positions at ten in the morning before we march out to the Kobold stronghold within the labyrinth. In the meantime, I suggest you stock up on healing potions and get some rest. Tomorrow will be tough, but I'm confident we can make it."

"Take care, man," Agil answered, stopping Asuna or Kirito before they could get a word in. Diabel nodded and turned, heading to the inn again. When he was out of earshot, Agil turned to Kirito and Asuna, all traces of his smile wiped from his face.

"Are you going to explain what just happened?" Kirito demanded, crossing his arms and looking at Agil expectantly.

"We need to play along with this guy if we're going to get any answers," Agil stated grimly. "I can't tell if he's just screwing around with all of this talk of being trapped in the game or if he's actually delusional. Either way, we're not going to find out by talking to him. We need to get in that raid party tomorrow and stay on his tail the whole time. We'll watch him carefully and track his movements. The minute he does something suspicious, we'll question him about it."

"Everything he's done so far is suspicious!" Asuna shot back. "This is some dark, twisted game, and I'm not going to play along with this guy! Count me out, Agil. I don't need this. I bet you more than anything it's some guy with a grudge against one of us, and he's trying to screw with our minds."

"But if we ignore it, he'll keep at it," Kirito argued somberly. "I don't like it any more than you do, Asuna. But Agil's right. If we want to stop him from carrying on like this, we need to be smart about confronting him. I… I need your help," he admitted, looking at her pleadingly. "I don't want to relive this nightmare, and I can't do it without you by my side."

Asuna glanced from Agil to Kirito hesitantly, clearly uncomfortable with the turn of events. After a silent moment, she sighed and looked away from them. "Fine. We'll join the raid party and investigate this guy. But first… Yui, come on out."

In an instant, the girl appeared with a bright flash of light. She stood between Kirito and Asuna, her bright eyes gazing up at both of them. Her expression was more somber than it had been in a long time. "Yes, Mama," she greeted.

"You witnessed what just happened, right?" Asuna asked softly, crouching down to meet the girl at eye-level. Yui nodded. "Can you tell us anything about the man we just spoke to?"

Yui closed her eyes, her expression pensive. "The database claims that he's a normal player. He has a full health bar and is on level 20."

Kirito, Asuna, and Agil exchanged surprised glances. "Already?" Asuna asked, stunned.

"Yes," Yui answered, her eyes still closed. Her face twisted in confusion for a moment. "Something's… strange, though. The system says that he hasn't logged off since he joined the game a week ago."

"_What!?_" all three teammates asked in shock.

"How is that possible?" Asuna asked.

Yui shook her head, her eyes opening and locking on Asuna's face. "I don't know. The system says the player has been active for 162 hours and 53 minutes… the entire time that Aincrad has been online."

"I don't understand," Agil responded, troubled by this news.

Kirito flashed a look at his companions. "We don't have a choice. The only way to figure out what's going on is to follow and confront that player. Tomorrow, we'll join the raid. We're going to get our answers… one way or another."


	7. Raid Party

Chapter Seven – Raid Party

It was almost sickening how similar the forest was to how it appeared two years ago. As Kirito and the others marched through the woods together at the tail end of Diabel's group, Agil and Asuna spoke in hushed tones to get the others up to speed. Just like last time, Diabel requested that each party contain six players. Adding Klein, Leafa, and Silica allowed Kirito's group to meet that requirement without having to join another party.

"Why would someone impersonate a dead player?" Silica asked, troubled by the concept. "Who would be that twisted?"

"Perhaps someone from the game truly cared about Diabel," Asuna responded quietly. "He was very charismatic, and many people from the party adored him. Even after his death, people claimed that he was the one who enabled us to clear the game. He was the first one who set up an organized team to get out of SAO. It's possible that someone idolized him enough to take on his likeness."

"And that would explain why they're following in his footsteps," Agil added. "If someone truly idolized him, they may be trying to memorialize him by keeping his persona alive in the virtual world. It's sick," he admitted, glancing at the others' grim expressions. "But PTSD does some messed-up stuff to people. If someone's going through that kind of trauma, it makes sense that they would do something like this."

"That doesn't mean they should continue, though," Kirito growled. "And I'm not entirely convinced it's just a former devotee of Diabel's. I can't explain it… but there's something in the way he talks and acts that gives me this twisted feeling in the pit of my stomach."

As the group marched behind Diabel's team of almost seventy players, Asuna glanced at Kirito. "Should we just leave it alone? If someone's got personal issues they're working out this way, is it really our place to interfere?"

Kirito didn't respond as he kept marching forward. He didn't want to admit it, but he had wondered the same thing. Regardless of his curiosity and desire to make the Diabel impersonator end their antics, he couldn't blame an SAO survivor for trying to work out their trauma. They had all been through hell. He of all people understood that.

"I have to admit that my reasons for following this group aren't entirely pure," Agil stated, attracting everyone's attention. "The truth is… I kind of want to see this Diabel make it through the battle. Call it wish fulfillment. Call it morbid curiosity. But I saw a good man die two years ago. I want to know what it would look like to see him come out of this victorious."

Klein shrugged. "I just want to kill Illfang. I didn't think I'd be doing it this early into the game," he admitted with a frown. "And I was hoping that Lizbeth would join us. It's too bad she had to go out of town this weekend. Hey, Kirito… you said she doesn't have a boyfriend, right?"

Leafa scowled at him. "Pervert! You're seven years older than her, _and_ she's still in high school! Get a grip already…"

Klein laughed, embarrassed by her calling him out like this. "I can't help it! I've got a thing for gamer chicks!"

The blonde girl looked away from him in disgust. No one was too surprised by her reaction, though, due to the fact that Klein had already expressed interest in her prior to finding out that she was even younger than Kirito. It was difficult, of course, for him to realize that with how she was dressed. The girl had taken on an archer's role in Aincrad, having donned on tight leather gear atop her dark green tunic and high boots. With her avatar's hair colored blonde and pulled up into a loose pony tail that fell to the middle of her back, she had attracted the eyes of many male and female players alike.

"Let's go over our game plan again," Kirito suggested, trying to bring the focus back to the task at hand. "We're in charge of holding off the Kobold sentinels while the front lines focus on Illfang. There will be three sentinels at the beginning, plus three more for every health bar Illfang loses during the battle. We'll be on fairly solid ground at first, but we'll have to deal with twelve sentinels at the very end."

"Do we think we can handle this?" Silica asked, her brow puckered in worry. "Our levels are so low…"

"We've got strategy and experience on our side," Kirito responded confidently, despite having the same concern as the young girl. "Besides. Even if we do lose this battle, the worst that will happen is that we return to Tolbana with half our Col and items removed. So don't worry."

Silica smiled up at him. Beside her, Pina chirruped happily and nuzzled the girl's cheek. "Alright. This really will be okay, won't it?"

Kirito nodded reassuringly as the group continued marching towards the tall tower that housed the first level's boss. As the tower drew closer, Asuna slipped her hand inside Kirito's and held it tight. He turned to look at her, surprised by how much she appeared to be shaking. She glanced at him, a slightly ashamed smile on her face. He didn't need to ask. He remembered this look from the way she glanced at him before many of the battles they faced together. It was a look she had only shared with him. To everyone else, she was confident, strong, and fearless. But she allowed Kirito to peek behind the mask, just so he could see how secretly terrified she was.

He leaned in and kissed her atop her head. Playfully, he tugged at the honey-brown braids tied together at the base of her neck. "Don't you start worrying now, too."

"I'm not," she murmured, though her troubled eyes danced around the woods. "I… I just don't know if I'm ready for this. Emotionally, I mean." Her eyes flashed to Kirito. "I don't know if I can watch Diabel die again. I don't think I'm mentally prepared for something like that. Though I know it's not really Diabel and that he won't really die… I just can't take watching it again."

Kirito frowned and ran a hand through his scruffy, dark hair. With a sigh, he closed his eyes. "I know what you mean. I don't think I'm ready for that, either. Maybe… maybe this can act as a type of therapy. Maybe seeing Diabel survive this time around will help us get over what happened to us here. You know?"

Asuna thought about this silently, her expression drawn and serious. "Then our mission is simple," she stated firmly. She locked eyes with Kirito, as though making a solemn pact. "We protect him. We see to it that Diabel makes it to the second level this time. We keep him alive, no matter what it takes."

Though this hadn't been Kirito's original plan and he would have much rather questioned the man imitating Diabel than to help him reach the next level, he couldn't argue with Asuna's conviction. Despite his own desires, the young swordsman found himself nodding along with her declaration. "Yes. We will see to it that he lives."

"Then you two might want to start readjusting your strategy," Agil suggested as he gestured ahead of them. Without even realizing it, the group had made it to the door leading to the massive dungeon that protected the first floor boss, Illfang the Kobold Lord. It towered over them, stretching miles into the sky before connecting to the bottom of the level above them. As they broke through the final row of trees, Kirito and Asuna tilted their heads back to gaze upon the entrance to the stronghold.

"Something tells me that, once we're inside that place, we won't have much time for talk," Agil added as he, too, fixed his gaze on the dungeon.

Taking his cue from the older, more intimidating axe-wielder, Kirito leveled a serious gaze at his companions. "Alright, guys. This is it. We all remember how this goes down. We've got tons of floors to get through before we can make it to Illfang's throne room. If Diabel was telling the truth, he and his team should have already mapped out the labyrinth and can lead us straight to Illfang. Our main task for now is to fight off any attacking creatures and protect our path to the boss's lair. Once we get to Illfang… wait for my word."

All around him, his teammates listened intently to his instructions as they glanced furtively at the giant, looming tower. Kirito noted with some chagrin just how different his role was from two years ago. There was no way he'd think of leading a team like this before. But he supposed being trapped in a death game for two years, getting married, and having a child (so to speak) instilled some small bit of leadership in him that he didn't possess before.

"If something goes wrong," Asuna stated, "remember that you'll end up in Tolbana. Send us messages to let you know where you are and where we can meet you. After we've cleared the level, we will come find you." Her tone, steely face expression, and rigid stature caused Kirito to flash back to how Asuna was when she stood as second-in-command for the Knights of the Blood Oath. She was comfortable giving orders. She reveled in captivating an audience. She was far more suited for this than Kirito was. And he couldn't complain—he was just as mystified by her as the others were.

Yards ahead of them, Diabel pushed open the door to the dungeon and ushered everybody inside. "Alright, everyone! Let's come out of this victorious! This is the day our liberation begins!"

Everyone must have been too excited about entering their first labyrinth to wonder what he meant by that last statement. Excited conversation buzzed as over seventy players poured past the tower's double doors. As Kirito passed Diabel, he glanced at the blue-haired swordsman. When their eyes met, Kirito felt a chill run down his spine, and he briefly felt the same crippling terror that shot through him when he entered the tower two years ago. Stepping into the dark maze, Kirito wondered silently if he had only imagined the dark smirk etched across Diabel's face.


	8. History Repeats Itself

Chapter Eight – History Repeats Itself

The surge through the dungeon had been a long, never-ceasing battle through hundreds of creatures. Even with the non-existent threat of death and the increased number of monsters in this maze, however, Diabel managed to lead the seventy-odd-man raid party to the boss's door with no casualties. Kirito gazed at the blue-haired swordsman, eying every move he made. The way he fought, commanded, and spoke was just as he remembered him from two years ago. If this man wasn't Diabel reincarnated, he was a dead-on impersonator who should be lauded for his performance.

When the raid party reached the thick, towering double-doors that led to Illfang's throne room, Diabel placed his hand on the door and turned around to address his raid party with a confident smile on his face. "I only have one thing to say to you," he announced boldly. "Let's win this!" With those familiar words ringing through the air, Diabel pushed the door open and charged into the dark room. Over seventy raid party members flooded the chambers behind him, excited cries thundering through the vast expanse of the stone structure.

At the end of the room, Illfang's blood-red eyes glowed in the darkness. When he stood, the chamber filled with light. The monster's massive body with rippling muscle and thick fat charged towards the crowd of challengers, his roar echoing his desire for blood and death. Kirito and the others braced, ready for the sentinels to attack.

"Remember!" he sharply called to his team. "Asuna and I will take on one! Silica and Agil, hold back the other! Klein and Leafa, you two take care of the last one! If you follow my instructions about switching, we'll wipe them out in no time and can join the others in whittling down Illfang's health bar!"

The team confidently braced themselves for the three Kobold sentinels to spawn. But when twelve lights flashed throughout the room and revealed all sentinels at the same time, Kirito's jaw slackened in surprise. An odd, sickening twist in his stomach alerted him of his own fear, which he tried to swallow back. Twelve tall, strong Kobold warriors charged forward, much faster than their leader. Their long snouts flared angrily as they wielded their giant clubs and began to strike the raid party.

"Change of plans!" Kirito shouted, sprinting into the fray with Asuna right behind him. "Don't worry about Illfang! Focus on the Kobold sentinels and pray we don't get wiped out!"

Immediately, Kirito threw his sword up between him and an attacking sentinel and blocked its downward blow. His strong defense threw the attacker off balance, allowing Asuna to come in for the strike. Though slower than she had been when they ended SAO months before, her agility still awed Kirito. The Kobold warrior had no hope of dodging or blocking her three-hit attack as she quickly pierced its belly with her rapier.

"Good!" Kirito shouted as she jumped backwards, allowing him to come in again. It had been months since he fought beside only her like this, and he only now realized just how much he missed it. Their technique was flawless. It was like a dance, the way they communicated with each other without saying a word. Their dodges and strikes looked almost choreographed as Asuna spun in the air, slicing and piercing the Kobold with lightning-fast speed. Though far less majestic, Kirito's blocks and slices perfectly complimented her smooth movements; in no time at all, the Kobold sentinel shattered into a million glittering pieces.

"Kirito!" Klein shouted from a few yards away. "A little help, bro?"

Kirito twisted around to see Klein struggling to keep a sentinel back. His katana was locked in a strength battle with the Kobold's massive club. The creature bared its fangs and hissed at Klein, its muscles taught with effort as it tried to force Klein's weapon out of his hands. Several feet behind them, Leafa stood with her bow and arrow loaded and aimed. However, she couldn't get a clear shot past Klein.

Leaping forward, Kirito shouted an order back to Asuna: "Go help Agil and Silica!"

"We've got it, little man," Agil's voice boomed in response. "Don't worry about us. Asuna, help other groups get rid of the rest of the sentinels!"

Asuna didn't have to be told twice. In a flash, she joined a nearby duo struggling to hold off a charging sentinel. Meanwhile, Kirito swung his sword at the Kobold warrior baring down on Klein. The creature roared in anger as it dodged, releasing its lock on Klein's katana as it spun out of the way. But Kirito wasn't trying to hit it. Now that the creature had backed up several feet, it was unobstructed.

Kirito didn't even have to issue the order to his sister. Leafa had been waiting for this moment. With dead-on accuracy, the girl released her arrow straight into a weak point in the sentinel's armor, just between its helmet and breastplate. The sentinel stumbled backwards and clawed at the arrow jutting out from its armor and spilling shards of data around it.

"Klein! Now!" Kirito barked. The red-headed man leapt forward and sliced his katana through the Kobold's neck down to its abdomen, following the same entry point Leafa had taken to get past the creature's armor. With a shriek, the sentinel shattered and disappeared. Klein shot a grin at Kirito and Leafa, his eyes dancing with excitement from the battle.

"Let's go get rid of the other warriors!" Kirito shouted, wasting no time in helping other parties destroy the rest of the sentinels.

The battle raged on, half of the raid party focusing on sentinels and the other half trying—and failing—to get a good hit in at Illfang. Diabel had managed to lead his troops through the surprise of all sentinels attacking them without a single casualty. However, he seemed frustrated at being unable to take out a decent chunk of Illfang's HP bar.

When Kirito saw an opportunity, he charged forward towards the massive beast. "Agil!" he shouted. "Block him for me!" Agil quickly joined Kirito and jumped in front of him, just as Illfang swung his giant bone axe at Kirito. Agil's own axe met the boss's weapon in mid-swing, causing a loud ring to echo through the throne room. Kirito lunged forward and sliced his sword in an upward motion, cutting into Illfang's belly. When his two-part combo finished with slicing down again, the wound took out a sizable chunk of the monster's first HP bar.

The display caught all other players off-guard, but seeing the effect on the massive creature's health inspired the other raid party members to follow Kirito's lead. Suddenly, players shifted their roles to allow them to inflict further damage to Illfang's HP.

"They're respawning!" someone shrieked behind Kirito after several minutes of hacking away at Illfang. Kirito noticed that Illfang's HP had dropped into the third bar, signaling the return of the sentinels. When he whirled around to face the returned creatures, he realized with dread that there were more than just twelve of them. This time, they had spawned in an army of fifteen. Gritting his teeth, he charged back towards the others.

"Agil!" he shouted, but the man was already right behind him.

"No need," Agil's rumbling voice boomed just feet away from Kirito. "I got it." The two lunged towards the nearest sentinel and immediately set to destroying it.

The pattern continued. As other raid party members took note of Kirito's team's movements and strikes, other player's attacks became stronger and more accurate. It was only a matter of minutes before Illfang's HP reached the final bar and sank into the red zone.

"Kirito!" Asuna called. "This is it! This is when Diabel—"

Illfang roared loudly, cutting off Asuna's shout and shaking the whole chamber violently. But Kirito didn't look at the boss. This time, his eyes were on Diabel. Asuna was right. Two years ago, this was when Diabel lunged forward prematurely and was cut down by Illfang. And, just like last time, Diabel had that hungry look in his eye as he watched Illfang reach for his second weapon.

_He has to know_, Kirito thought desperately as he watched Diabel sprint towards the boss. _He has to remember that this is different! He has to know that Illfang won't use his talwar!_

"This is it!" Diabel shouted as he lunged towards the beast. "This is the weapon switch!"

The blue-haired swordsman was attacking in the exact same way he had two years ago, as though anticipating a much slower weapon than the katana-like sword Illfang had drawn. Kirito shot towards Diabel, his heart thundering in his chest as he watched a live-action replay of the tragedy that unfolded two years ago. "No, Diabel! He's not pulling out the talwar! He's—"

But his words and actions were too late. Diabel had already reached Illfang before Kirito could stop him. With horror, Kirito watched the Kobold Lord's swift sword cut through the air in a massive combo, cutting down Diabel with ease. The leader's HP sank dramatically with each strike. On the last blow, Illfang sent Diabel flying through the air in a shower of glittering data.

Kirito caught up to Diabel's limp body as the man lay on the floor. "Stupid!" he barked, pulling Diabel into his arms to brace him. He pulled up his item menu and materialized a potion. "You're not dying this time! I won't let you!"

Just as Kirito brought the potion to Diabel's lips, the blue-haired man let out a dark, chilling laugh. Kirito froze. For once, this wasn't like last time. He turned his eyes slowly to meet Diabel's and found nothing but cold hatred waiting for him. Diabel's sickening grin was weak and twisted.

With a trembling hand, Diabel grabbed Kirito by the collar of his black tunic and pulled him close. "This… is your fault," he rasped between weak coughs. "My death… has always been your fault. My blood is on your hands… Kazuto Kirigaya…"

Kirito shot backwards at hearing his real name, his body flooding with ice as he stared down at Diabel. "How…" Kirito managed breathlessly. "How do you know my name?"

"I know the name of my murderer," Diabel rasped as his HP bar disappeared. "You… killed me…"

As Diabel's body exploded into glittering shards and rained down around Kirito, all the stunned teen could hear was the bone-chilling sound of a dead man's laugh.


	9. Blood on His Hands

Chapter Nine – Blood on His Hands

"Kirito!"

The voice sounded like it was coming from a million miles away. A strange rushing sound filled Kirito's ears as he kneeled on the stone floor, his wide eyes staring unblinkingly at the place where Diabel's body had been just seconds before.

_This is your fault_, his voice echoed. _My blood is on your hands._

Kirito couldn't move his body. He couldn't even feel it. It seemed as though his veins ran cold with ice as he froze in place, eyes wide and jaw slack. Those words. How many times had some internal voice said the same things, only to have him fight them? And now a dead man had come back to confirm that very dread. Diabel's death was his fault.

_My blood is on your hands_.

If he had been faster; if he had been stronger; if he had been right next to Diabel to back him up, maybe the man would still be alive today. Maybe he wouldn't have been cut down before he could see his own victory. Kirito clenched his fists and jaw, the numbness in his body giving way to agonizing pain.

_This is your fault_.

"Kirito!" the cry was closer this time, but still somehow far away. He couldn't turn to look. He couldn't respond. All he could do was hear Diabel's voice echoing in his mind.

_I know the name of my murderer._

_Kazuto Kirigaya._

…_the name of my murderer._

…_my murderer._

_MURDERER._

"Kirito!"

He didn't know how it happened. Kirito wasn't even aware of his own body. But in one moment, he had drawn his sword and pressed it against the flesh of whatever unlucky creature had just approached him. Breathing heavy and eyes filled with fire, Kirito's body stood as taut as a wire stretched to its maximum length. His right hand was clutching the hilt of his sword, the other grasping the fabric of a white tunic.

"Ki… ri…"

The gasp came from whoever he currently had his sword against right now. As his eyes cleared and the darkness began to fade, he realized that he was staring into a familiar set of honey-colored eyes. They were wide. Afraid. No, terrified. Whatever monster raged inside Kirito had just taken over, and those eyes now glistened with terror at the sight of him.

His fist slackened from around the tunic fabric, and he felt the muscles in his face slowly relax. The hideous scowl that had drawn the lines of his face together sank into an expression of desperation as he stared back into Asuna's eyes. It was her. He had attacked her. He had pressed his sword against her. And now it was her eyes that stared back into his in horror.

He couldn't say anything. He couldn't move. His mind was silent, his nerves raw. The girl stared up at him, her hands slowly moving upwards until, trembling, they cupped his face. With gentle fingers, Asuna brushed against Kirito's cheeks and let salty tears run down her hands. He hadn't even realized he had been crying. Kirito let his sword arm drop to his side, and he heard the cold metal clatter against the stone floor as he collapsed to his knees again.

Asuna wrapped her arms around him and held him tight as his body shook violently. She whispered soft assurances in his ear, but he couldn't hear them. He couldn't hear anything. How could he? How could he think or feel anything at this point? A ghost had come back just to confirm his worst fears.

_I am a murderer_.

The thought stabbed him through the heart, causing a sharp ache to form in his chest. In the real world, who had Diabel been? Did he have family? Friends? Maybe a girlfriend or a wife? And because Kirito hadn't saved him, those people would never see that man again. It was his fault. No wonder a ghost had come back to blame him.

"Get him up!" a low voice rumbled somewhere close by.

"We need to get him out of here!" another voice chimed in. "He's in no state to fight! I knew it was too soon!"

The world around him began to come into focus, but only barely. It was as though someone had put a hazy lens over his eyes and shoved cotton balls in his ears. Everything was muted and dull.

"Keep blocking Illfang!" a familiar female voice cried. "Everyone, stay focused! There's only a little bit left on his HP! We can still win!"

"Kirito," Asuna whispered gently, cutting through the fog. "We need to get up. We need to get you out of here."

He couldn't respond. Though he wanted to agree or grunt or… anything, Kirito couldn't manage to make any sound. Instead, he felt Asuna slowly begin to lift him up, shouldering his weight. All around him, he saw the members of the raid party trying to keep Illfang preoccupied while Asuna dragged Kirito towards the throne room's giant doors. She was trying to get him out of there. She was trying to save him.

"No," he rasped. "We're so close. We… we can beat him."

"You're in no shape to fight," she grunted as she pulled him harder, gritting her teeth with the effort. "We were hasty. We shouldn't have come here."

Kirito planted his feet against the floor and stopped her attempt to get him to safety. When she looked at him, his eyes met hers briefly before he turned his gaze towards Illfang. "We're not leaving yet." A rage began to build inside of him, turning his whole world red. He pulled away from Asuna's hold as he glared at the giant beast roaring several yards away from them.

_Murderer._

The accusation shot fire through his veins. Breathing heavy and arms tingling with hot rage, Kirito angled his movements towards Illfang. _Not again_, he thought as everything else faded around him. The creature sliced his blade through the air, making contact with at least ten risen shields. _Why am I playing this scenario out again!? This was supposed to be different! This was supposed to be a new start! This was supposed to be my redemption!_

The familiar energy flooded through him as Kirito's feet quickened their pace until he was racing in a dead-sprint towards the massive beast. He lifted his sword high above his head, his eyes wide with desire to slice through Illfang's flesh and make him suffer. With every hit to the tall creature, Diabel's face appeared in Kirito's vision again and again.

_You did this_. His voice rang through Kirito's head with every clash of armor and steel. _My blood is on your hands._

"Shut up," Kirito growled with heavy breaths, his sword flying through the air and sending glittering shards of data through the air.

_Your fault_.

"Shut up!" he cried, stabbing the monster in the stomach and watching the red sparks fly.

_Murderer._

"_SHUT UP!_" Kirito's screams echoed off the walls and shook the marble beneath the other players' feet. With one, quick upwards movement, Kirito's sword shot through Illfang's chest and neck. In one moment, the whole beast exploded into a million shards and rained down around Kirito and the other players.

The black-clad swordsman watched, his chest heaving with each breath, as the familiar congratulatory message displayed in his vision. The other players responded with a mixture of victory and confusion, some glancing hesitantly at Kirito. The teen saw the final attack bonus item appear in his inventory. He knew that Asuna and the others were watching him in concern.

"Kirito," Asuna whispered, her eyes full of emotion. But he couldn't handle it right now. He was a solo player. He needed to handle this on his own. Without another word, Kirito brought up his player menu and hit the Log Out button. As the world faded around him, he watched Asuna's eyes fill with confusion and pain, as though he had just slapped her in the face.

_I'm sorry_, he thought. But he didn't know if he directed it towards Asuna, Diabel, or himself.


	10. Seeking Help

Chapter Ten: Seeking Help

"So. You're Kazuto Kirigaya—in the game, you were known as Kirito."

Kazuto sat quietly in the plush chair across from the tall, statuesque woman. He guessed that the chair was supposed to be comfortable so those talking to Miss Hamada, the school's special counselor hired specifically to rehabilitate students from their SAO experiences, would feel at ease when revealing their innermost thoughts. All it did for Kazuto was make him increasingly aware that this was _not_ a normal situation. He sat rigidly, his hands clasped in front of him, and tried not to make eye contact. It was easy for now—she had been shifting through papers and scribbling on a notepad for the past five minutes.

"Erm…" he said, clearing his throat. "I am. Yes."

"I haven't spoken to you since the first day of school," she remarked, adjusting her glasses as she set aside some papers. Miss Hamada closed the folder she had rested on her knee, put it on a table beside her chair, and leaned back. With a warm, calm smile, she looked up at Kazuto. "What brings you here today?"

_My sister and my girlfriend_, he wanted to grumble. After logging out suddenly a week ago and refusing to dive back into Aincrad, both girls pressured him into talking to the school counselor. They insisted that he needed to get this experience off his chest if he was going to get past it. If it wasn't for the fact that Asuna seemed particularly tortured over his mental and emotional state lately, he wouldn't have gone. During their last heated discussion, she declared that if he couldn't talk to her about what was going on, he had to talk to the counselor.

So here he was—right across from a tall, beautiful woman with dark chestnut hair pulled into a bun at the base of her neck. If there was a stock image of a young, female school counselor, she would be it. _They think this makes people feel at ease?_ He thought, shifting uncomfortably in his seat at her intense scrutiny.

Realizing that she was expecting an answer, Kazuto frowned and looked away from her again. "Uh… well," he stammered, crossing his arms over his chest. "Something happened recently. Something that I can't quite get over. And it wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't for the fact that I can't really… _focus_ anymore. I can't concentrate on school, and I…" he hesitated, hating the feeling of being put on the spot. "And I can't really _sleep_, either."

"Well," Miss Hamada's smooth voice responded, "You're certainly not alone. Many people experience similar issues after traumatic events, such as the ones you went through. Tell me, how are you eating?"

Kazuto shook his head. "Since leaving SAO," he answered honestly, "I don't really have much of an appetite. Part of my physical rehab included a strict diet to regain my strength, so I didn't get much say in that. But this past week... I don't know. I couldn't even bring myself to finish a full meal. It's draining me," he admitted.

Miss Hamada sighed gently. With delicate hands, she removed her glasses and gazed at Kazuto with somber eyes. "I'm sorry, Kazuto. What you're going through isn't easy, especially for someone as young as you. You've been through a lot. I know you didn't come here for pity," she added after the teen shifted in his seat again. "And I won't give any to you. But you do have my respect and sympathy for what you are experiencing. I'd like to help, if you will let me."

Kazuto leveled a serious look at her and nodded. "Yes, but… I don't quite understand how you can."

"It's rather simple," Miss Hamada explained. "I just want you to talk. It can be about this recent event you mentioned. It can be about how you're doing at school, or your friendships, or any number of things. Most of what I do is just listen. Many times, we can work out our problems just by speaking them aloud to someone."

He didn't like the idea of explaining his experiences to an outsider. Everything that happened in SAO had an unspoken privacy agreement attached to it. Other than government officials gathering what information they required for their investigation, society as a whole was supposed to leave SAO survivors alone and let them cope on their own. In the beginning, swarms of reporters tried to get to Kazuto and the others, desperate to get an insider's perspective of being trapped in the VRMMORPG. But it didn't take long before the government stepped in and protected those survivors from those prying questions.

"You don't even have to talk about the game," Miss Hamada insisted, breaking into Kazuto's thoughts. "I know it's taboo to speak of your experiences while in Sword Art Online. And while I'm not a reporter hoping to blast your story to the ends of the earth, I know it can't be easy for you to talk to me about something I otherwise wouldn't have any business knowing. My goal here, Kazuto," she continued seriously, "is simply to help you transition back into reality. If you can't eat, can't sleep, and can't focus… we need to address the core issue."

Kazuto nodded. "I understand."

Miss Hamada smiled warmly. "Good. Then let's get started. Tell me a little bit about yourself."

* * *

Kazuto shoved his hands deep in his pockets and released a sigh in a tiny puff of white vapor in the cold winter air. The day had been a long one, made even longer from his absolute exhaustion. As he walked by a window to a storefront, Kazuto grimaced at his skeletal appearance. His cheeks looked slightly sunken, his eyes shadowed and baggy. He looked just like he had when he escaped SAO.

"How did it go?" Asuna asked quietly from beside him. She had remained quiet since they left the school; her curiosity must have gotten the better of her. When Kazuto turned to look at her, her honey-colored eyes gazed back at him in anxious worry.

"It went well, I think," he answered, looking ahead again and trying to sound nonchalant. "Miss Hamada didn't say much. She just told me to talk. She said that it'll help work out my… internal issues, or whatever." He shrugged. "I don't see much benefit out of it yet."

Asuna fidgeted, seeming dissatisfied by his response. "Well, did she give you _any_ advice? It seems like a counselor should be able to do more than just have you talk at her, you know?"

Kazuto was afraid she'd ask this question. He closed his eyes, knowing he couldn't lie to her. "She… did have one piece of advice. She says that I should dive back into Aincrad tonight."

This seemed to surprise Asuna. She quickly turned to look at Kazuto, her brow furrowed. "What?"

"Yeah," he responded with a sigh, unable to hide his slight frown. "She says that it's good for me to face my fears head-on. She thinks the game represents issues that I have buried deep down, and that hiding from them will only make those issues grow. So she told me to go back into the game tonight, at least for a little bit. She wants me to keep at it every night, even if it's only for a few minutes."

Asuna remained silent, pondering his words for a moment. When she did speak, her voice sounded the same way it did whenever she talked to him about an upcoming boss battle when they were trapped in SAO: "So. Are you going to go?"

Kazuto hesitated. "I'm not sure. I understand the reasoning behind it," he explained, glancing at Asuna. "It was the same reasoning I had to go into it initially. But you were right. I think it was too soon. We weren't ready. _I_ wasn't ready. And then… and then Diabel…" He trailed off, his heart twisting in his chest as he remembered the words the dying man said to him.

_Murderer._

"Don't worry about Diabel," Asuna whispered, grasping Kirito's arm. "When I talked to Yui, she said that the player hadn't logged in since his death. He won't bother you anymore."

"But that's what troubles me the most," Kazuto insisted, his throat tightening in an inexplicable dread. "Everything that Yui said about him not logging off at all since Aincrad's reboot and now the fact that his player data seems to be gone for good…" He closed his eyes against the thought raging in his head. He couldn't say it aloud. It was utter lunacy.

"That wasn't Diabel's ghost," Asuna suddenly stated, echoing Kazuto's thoughts. "We learned early on in our captivity in SAO that players _never_ come back from the dead—alive or as spirits. That hasn't changed."

"If he's not a spirit or a ghost," Kazuto responded, clenching his fists, "that means someone's going through an awful lot of trouble to torment me."

"If someone was behind this, it had nothing to do with you. People have issues, especially if they survived the hell of SAO. Maybe reliving Diabel's death was a way for them to cope with it."

Kazuto didn't say anything. He hadn't told her about Diabel's last words. He hadn't told her about the accusing way the man glared at him or the sickening grin on his face as he said Kazuto's real name. He was tempted to tell her now, but he couldn't muster up the strength to do so.

"Either way," Asuna continued, "I think Miss Hamada might be right. It's been a week since you last logged in. Maybe it has been enough time to distance yourself from what happened. And we don't have to take on anything major. We just have to wander around a bit and get you comfortable with it all again."

He remained silent, his eyes averted from hers as his thoughts and emotions swirled inside of him. Could he really do this? Was this really wise? After what happened, he wanted to leave Aincrad and never come back. But he had to admit that his pride hated that idea. To admit that a game had defeated him was beyond sickening.

"And don't worry," Asuna whispered gently, her warm hand burrowing into his pocket and grasping his hand tightly. He turned to look at her, finding a warm smile on her face as she gazed tenderly at him. "I'll be there. I won't let anything happen to you. I swear."

Though still uneasy about diving back into the game, Kazuto couldn't deny that Asuna's presence did give him more courage and strength to do so. With a ghost of a smile, Kazuto squeezed Asuna's hand in response. "Alright. I'll do my best."


End file.
